Poll: Majority of Americans back stricter gun laws

As the president outlined sweeping new proposals aimed to reduce gun violence, a new CBS News/New York Times poll found that Americans back the central components of the president's proposals, including background checks, a national gun sale database, limits on high capacity magazines and a ban on semi-automatic weapons.

Asked if they generally back stricter gun laws, more than half of respondents - 54 percent - support stricter gun laws; 53 percent say it would deter gun violence. That is a jump from April - before the Newtown and Aurora shootings - when only 39 percent backed stricter gun laws but about the same as ten years ago.

Not all respondents, however, back stricter gun laws. The idea is more popular among Democrats and a slight majority of independents while only 31 percent of Republicans back stricter limits on guns. The ideological split is similar to the split among gun ownership. While 74 percent of people who don't keep guns in the house back stricter gun laws, 36 percent of gun owning households do and 26 percent of gun owners.

When asked about specific proposals, however, people were more inclined to back stricter gun laws. For instance, nine out of 10 respondents support background checks on all potential gun buyers, and nearly four-fifths of respondents are in favor of a national database to track gun sales. As for limiting access, 63 percent support a ban on high-capacity magazines and 53 percent back a ban on semi-automatic weapons.

4. I'm a gunner.

I support stricter gun laws, like registration, which is a twofer: nuke private transfers, and straw purchases in one, PLUS then we can proactively strip someone's guns when they have a court order mental health evaluation, or a domestic violence charge, or a restraining order.

5. sounds good to me

6. I've owned guns since I was a teenager . . .

I've owned guns since I was a teenager, and currently own a rifle and a hand gun. I support all that the President is trying to do. I wish we as a nation had moved much sooner on this much-needed effort to end the senseless slaughter caused by easy access to military classes of weapons, magazines and ammo.